Wis. woman: Sheriff said OK for her to arm herself

Published On: Jan 29 2013 09:49:17 PM CST

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- A Milwaukee woman accused of firing a gun says the sheriff said it was OK for her to arm herself.

Police approached 36-year-old Makisha Cooper Saturday about firing a gun. Cooper told police she heard Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr. on the radio "that she could own a gun to protect herself."

Clarke aired a radio ad last week telling Milwaukee-area residents not to count on a rapid police response to 911 calls and instead to take a gun safety course.

Cooper told police she fired a gun once outside a house after getting into a fight with her niece.

In a statement, the sheriff says "there is no parallel" between this case and what he said.

The Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/119YjO7) reports Cooper is charged with two misdemeanor counts.

Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.